My next excurtion took me to Burg Habsburg, in a village called Habsburg, in Kanton Aargau. The first castle was built around 1020 by Radbot Habsburg, and this place became the origin of the later mighty dynasty. The family lost this place in the 15th century to the Swiss Confederation, but it was interesting to see this rather humble origin. OK, humble compare to their later wealth....

And the end. In the same Kanton is Abbey Muri, where Karl and Zita's hearts are resting together.

The other day I passed through the sleepy Swiss village of Zizers, close to Chur, where Empress Zita had spent her years from 1962 till her death in 1989. St. John's Abbey is a retirement home, where she had a small apartment on the second floor. The building is unassuming, a bit shabby today, occupied by elderly people. At the entrance there is a marble plaque placed in honor of Zita. This was initiated and funded by the "Association of Austrians to preserve the history of Austria."

Does the President of Austria actually reside in the Hofburg or does he just have his office there?

He just has his offices there, he still lives in his old privat apartment in Vienna. Not one Austrian President lived in the Hofburg, they used to live in an old villa in Vienna-Hietzing which is now sold I believe.

I just love the topic of different properties that are/was owned by various members of the various European Royal families.

Archduke Franz Ferdinand lived in the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, he had the Artstetten country castle, and also the Konopiste castle in Bohemia (Czech Republick). His descendants still have Artstetten castle, but they lost Konopiste castle. His descendants launched a lawsuit a few years ago to recover the property, but I think they were unsuccessful.

Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Empress Elisabeth lived in the Hofburg, Schonbrunn and the Kaiservilla. Empress Elisabeth also had the Hermesvilla and the Achilleion villa on Corfu in Greece.

After Empress Elisabeth died her daugther Archduchess Valerie got the Achilleion villa which she sold to the Austrian government who sold it to Kaiser Wilhem II. The Greek government confiscated it after World War I.
Archduchess Valerie also got the Kaiservilla, and Schloss Persenbeug. I wonder what properties her sister got?

Did Emperor Karl not have any personal properties? IIRC he stayed in the Ausgarten Palace in Vienna before he became Emperor. This palace was state property.

His grandson the current head of the dynasty launched a lawsuit a few years ago to recover the Laxenburg castles. But I don't know if it realy was Emperor Karl's personal property?

But then again Emperor Karl received a great share of Archduke Franz Ferdinand's Habsburg-Este possessions (which he in turn inheritted from the last Duke of Modena). (As Franz Ferdinand's children the Hohenburg's were morganatic, they didn't receive this patrimony).
But it seems in 1919 all of this anyway got nationalised with the discriminate Habsburg law. Maybe Laxenburg was part of the property Franz Joseph passed to his grandnephew ??

Empress Elisabeth gave the Achileion to her daughter GISELA not to Marie Valerie. Marie Valerie got the Kaiservilla when her father Franz Joseph I. died.

The descendants of Franz Ferdinand inherited a hunting lodge in Upper Styria ( the place is called Radmer) from Emperor Franz Joseph which they still own till today. I know it because my grandparents and great-grandparents were living next to it.

As far as Laxenburg was concerned it was along with Schönbrunn and the Hofburg always in possession of the family's head which of course always was the current Emperor. So Laxenburg came to Emperor Karl after Franz Joseph's death.

As far as Laxenburg was concerned it was along with Schönbrunn and the Hofburg always in possession of the family's head which of course always was the current Emperor. So Laxenburg came to Emperor Karl after Franz Joseph's death.

Laxenburg, Schonbrunn & the Hofburg were properties that always was in the posession of the head of the family, like you say.
But why then did Archduke Karl try to recover Laxenburg. It must have been state property. Or was it the same as Balmoral is to the Queen of England? (Always the head of the Windsor dynasty occyping it, whilst it being personal property).

the comparision with Balmoral fits in case of Laxenburg Castle ;-) Technically speaking it was personal property of Emperor Franz Joseoph and went then to his successor Emperor Karl, therefore it was not originally state property. But as you know the family of Emperor Karl had to go into exile and therefore all their properties went to the Republic of Austria (Hofburg, Schönbrunn as well as the personal properties like Belvedere and Laxenburg, etc, etc. etc.) . Whereas the descendants of Emperor Franz Joseph through his daughter Marie Valerie were able to keep their properties, therefore the Kaiservilla is still being owned by Markus Habsburg-Lothringen who is a great grandson of Emperor Franz Joseph.

the comparision with Balmoral fits in case of Laxenburg Castle ;-) Technically speaking it was personal property of Emperor Franz Joseoph and went then to his successor Emperor Karl, therefore it was not originally state property.

Thanks Kit !!!
I was in Vienna a few weeks ago and really loved the city. I found the tour of Schonbrunn dissapointing. I loved that you are able to walk through almost the whole of the Belvedere, but thought there would be some emphasis on Franz Ferdinand. (maybe a room or two). But it is now just an art museum :(.
I liked the Hofburg.
I should have made an effort to also go to the Laxenburg castles.

you're very welcome. Did you take the guided tour in Schönbrunn or just the audio tour? To be honest I always find the Hofburg tour somewhat disappointing and prefer Schönbrunn, but the most interesting parts of both Schönbrunn and the Hofburg (the same can be applied to all the former Habsburg properties) are the ones which you can not officially visit. I have several friends who live in the Hofburg and in Schönbrunn (there are apartments which can be rented under the roof and in the older parts of the castles) and it is always interesting to see the hidden parts .... . Once it was possible for a limited time to visit the cellar of the Hofburg under the National library and that was really amazing. Rumour has it there is a hidden street between the Hofburg and Schönbrunn which runs in the cellar but so far nothing could be proven .......
Laxenburg is not to my taste to be honest, the same goes with the Hermesvilla. They are so dark and depressing whereas I really love the Second Hofburg in Innsbruck, Tyrol which is surrounded by the Tyrolean Alps. The panorama is simply amazing. Inside the Hofburg in Innsbruck is a little dull 'cause most of the time the Imperial family lived in Vienna and therefore the rooms are not greatly decorated or furnished.

I also liked the Hofburg in Innsbruck. Visited in summer 2011 and impressed with some of the larger rooms which had been renovated. The large hall with portraits of the children of Maria Theresa very interesting. But why is it all the daughters look the same? I want to visit Schloss Ambrus next which has another gallery famous for the Habsburg portraits. Anyone been?

The large hall with portraits of the children of Maria Theresa very interesting. But why is it all the daughters look the same?

There was a painter called Liotard who did pastell drawings of the children of the empress but lost out on painting them in oils because the Archduchesses did not like their portraits - too realistic, probably. In the drawings you can see that they didn'>t look similar....

After that debacle thenext painters took care to paint the princesses as they liked to see themselves....

There was a painter called Liotard who did pastell drawings of the children of the empress but lost out on painting them in oils because the Archduchesses did not like their portraits - too realistic, probably. In the drawings you can see that they didn'>t look similar....

After that debacle thenext painters took care to paint the princesses as they liked to see themselves....

Thanks for that info. Googled Liotard and liked his pictures. Shame he didn't get the job. His pictures look like real people!